Happy Earth Day: Environmental Health is Human Health

thecatalystpress
Apr 22
2 min read

Author: Anisah Ali

Editor: Sumairaa Ahmed

Today, we celebrate Earth Day as part of the continued efforts to extend our collective responsibility to protect the environment and address the long-standing consequences of industrial development.

Prior to 1970, the origins of Earth Day are loosely connected to the heavily industrialized automotive industry in the United States (Earthday.org). The accumulation of air pollution was once considered a “smell of prosperity,” alluding to the prioritization of economic value over the protection of the environment by federal lawmakers and industry leaders (Earthday.org).

While Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin played a pivotal role in bringing environmental protection to the forefront of the U.S. political agenda, the momentum behind Earth Day was largely driven by student-led grassroots organizations to bring visibility to the environmental degradation by industrial development (Earthday.org). Most notably, Denis Hayes was the lead activist in organizing campus teach-ins and founded the first Earth Day in 1970 (Earthday.org).

Today, the challenges persist. Industrial activity continues to harm ecosystems and communities—particularly Indigenous peoples in Canada, who face disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards. Limited access to clean drinking water, adequate housing, and food security in many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities are direct outcomes of environmental neglect (Bush & Robitaille, 2022). The environmental racism faced by Indigenous communities provides a glimpse into the cumulative health disparities that stem from environmental harm. Ultimately, environmental health is a fundamental determinant to improving human health outcomes.

As we reflect on this Earth Day, it is imperative to recognize the continued efforts that are required to secure environmental justice. Our commitment to health equity requires an active recognition of environmental degradation, in which our approaches must be rooted in advocacy for environmental health.